Mixed Mental Arts

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Ep188 - Katie Locke O'Brien and Claire Gerety-Mott ("The Hub") Sep 05, 2015

Show notes

Recently, Michael Eisner, former head of Disney and ABC, lamented that he couldn't find women who were funny and hot. Eisner predicted he'd get flack for saying this and, of course, he did. While many people focused on citing women they believed were funny and hot, this week's guests have a very different perspective: the idea that it's a studio heads job to find talent is largely outdated. In the last few decades, cameras have moved from film to digital and from being so prohibitively priced that only the biggest studios could afford them to being so affordable that…well…our guests were able to make and sell a show for under $10,000. Starting with two Masshole characters they loved, Claire Gerety-Mott and Katie O'Brien set out to create a comedy series based on their characters' lives called The Hub. When they couldn't get their pilot to the gatekeepers of Hollywood, they got scrappy and produced the show themselves, so Hollywood could see what it was missing. Before Claire and Katie could release it, the show was optioned by one production company, and then bought by IFC, where they developed it for television. The Hub didn't make it to series, but that deal has ultimately led to Katie and Claire inking a deal with the very same network Michael Eisner used to head, ABC. The old days of studios acting as gatekeepers are disappearing. Now, women who are funny and hot can make the content they think is needed for relatively cheap and put it out into the world to let the people decide what is worth watching. In the 21st Century, the biggest barrier to making a TV show, writing a book (which both Katie and Claire have done) or generally fulfilling your artistic vision is your willingness to put in the work and create it. In this interview, Claire, Katie, Hunter and Bryan discuss their biggest artistic inspirations, the comedy they love and why the real barrier to creativity nowadays is awe. Featured Link #1: www.watchthehub.com Guest Links Website: www.watchthehub.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/thisiskatieo https://twitter.com/C_Gerety_Mott Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuboftheHub?fref=ts YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIdEZYyQL0UzmbVUnYF6HLQ Guest Promo Product 1: http://www.amazon.com/Straight–Conspiracy-Secret-Ending-Totally/dp/0985898836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431010307&sr=8-1&keywords=straight-a+conspiracy Product 2: http://www.amazon.com/Nathaniel-T-Culpepper-Missing-Sock/dp/0615967078/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1440812463&sr=8-1&keywords=nathaniel+t+culpepper&pebp=1440812465061&perid=071Z4JJ1T7XJZFP6BF73

Ep187 - Bryan Callen and Hunter Maats: Naked Aug 22, 2015

Show notes

Sometimes Bryan and Hunter like to get naked together...emotionally. It's time to bare all their thoughts and feelings!!! In this episode, they review everything they've learned and what the big take home lesson is. There's really only one! Tune in to find out what it is. Tweet Hunter, if there are any books or topics you'd like to see covered. Featured Link #1: https://twitter.com/bryancallen Featured Link #2: https://twitter.com/huntermaats

Ep186 - Adam Benforado: Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice Aug 08, 2015

Show notes

There's no doubt in any modern person's mind that the justice of the Medieval era was unjust. The court considered spiritual evidence, pigs were considered legally competent and tried as adult humans and guilt was often determined by seeing whether the defendant would float or sink in holy water. We think of our modern legal system as far more rational and just but, according to Adam Benforado, we will soon look back at our own present-day legal system with same horror with which we look at the legal system of the Medieval era. In this episode, we examine the neurological and psychological research and the actual legal cases in Adam's book Unfair: The New Science of Criminal Injustice. It's a truly stupendous book. In it, Adam examines the ways in which subtle, arbitrary differences in interrogation methods, police cameras and whether or not judges have had lunch yet can make the difference between a person being set free or sent to prison. A fairer criminal justice system which reduces crime while also saving money is possible but it requires us to be honest about how human nature works. Fortunately, Benforado's book makes that science very accessible and enjoyable to read. It's a real treat to have him on the show. Guest Links Twitter: https://twitter.com/benforado Guest Promo Product 1: http://www.amazon.com/Unfair-The-Science-Criminal-Injustice/dp/0770437761

Ep185 - Jennifer Jacquet: Is Shame Necessary? Jul 25, 2015

Show notes

It's probably no surprise that Californians have no shame. In fact, as Jennifer Jacquet writes in her latest book, shame has been found to be a central part of the emotional lives of Indonesians but to play virtually no role in the lives of Californians. The question that Jacquet asks is whether the West should in very specific instances bring shame back, in particular when dealing with corporations. Jennifer Jacquet is an assistant professor at NYU. Her website is jenniferjacquet.com. You can follow her on twitter @jenniferjacquet. And, most importantly, you can find her book Is Shame Necessary?: New Uses for an Old Tool on Amazon. Guest Promo Product 1: http://www.amazon.com/Is-Shame-Necessary-Uses-Tool/dp/0307907570

Ep184 - David Sloan Wilson: Does Altruism Exist? Jul 11, 2015

Show notes

In 1759, while working as a tutor, Adam Smith wrote a book called The Theory of Moral Sentiments that begins as follows: "How selfish soever man may be supposed, there are evidently some principles in his nature, which interest him in the fortunes of others, and render their happiness necessary to him, though he derives nothing from it, except the pleasure of seeing it. Of this kind is pity or compassion, the emotion we feel for the misery of others, when we either see it, or are made to conceive it in a very lively manner. That we often derive sorrow from the sorrows of others, is a matter of fact too obvious to require any instances to prove it; for this sentiment, like all the other original passions of human nature, is by no means confined to the virtuous or the humane, though they perhaps may feel it with the most exquisite sensibility. The greatest ruffian, the most hardened violator of the laws of society, is not altogether without it." In 1776, that same Adam Smith would write The Wealth of Nations, the book that would establish capitalism. To a modern audience, for whom the idea of selfishness is synonymous with capitalism, this seems incredibly strange. However, it wasn't strange at all. Smith was primarily interested in improving the well-being of humanity. To him, it was clear that market forces were one of the great tools for doing this. However, this does not mean that Smith believed that humanity was entirely selfish. In fact, as the opening of The Theory of Moral Sentiments makes clear, he rejected a view of humanity as purely selfish as absurd. We help others for no benefit other than the joy of seeing it. Some might argue that this is, in and of itself, selfish. After all, we give as a way of increasing our own happiness but that we are wired to derive joy from that shows that that sort of altruistic behavior confers an evolutionary advantage. And whether or not altruism exists has been a matter of some controversy for some time in evolutionary circles. In his book, Does Altruism Exist? David Sloan Wilson examines why this controversy existed and provides a clear and simple way to understand why altruism does exist. Selfishness will allow you to win within the group but when groups compete an altruistic group will always beat a selfish one. This argument is of more than academic issue because it strikes right at the core of how we structure the economy. Unbridled selfishness might allow you to win in your own society but a society dominated by selfish behavior won't be able to beat societies whose members are more altruistic. Sometimes there are benefits to sacrificing for the common good. We all recognize that in times of war celebrating the soldiers willing to lay down their lives without hope of reward for the benefit of their country. If the willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice is good for your country, then might not lesser sacrifices also be good for your country? Selfishness is a part of who we are but it is not all of who we are and David Sloan Wilson's Does Altruism Exist?: Culture, Genes and The Welfare of Others does a great job of challenging the idea that man is purely selfish. Capitalism has wandered far from the vision of its founder. David Sloan Wilson helps use the latest science to bring our view of human nature back into line with reality. Best of all, that view of humanity is far more hopeful than the purely selfish vision that so many economists articulate. Guest Links Website: http://evolution.binghamton.edu/dswilson/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/david_s_wilson Guest Promo Product 1: http://www.amazon.com/Does-Altruism-Exist-Foundational-Questions/dp/0300189494

Ep183 - Jean-Pierre Hocke Jun 23, 2015

Show notes

Today, on The Bryan Callen Show, Bryan and Hunter Maats speak with Jean-Pierre Hocke. Jean-Pierre joined in 1968 the Interntional Committee of the Red Cross - ICRC. After several field assignments he became ICRC's Director of Operations for 12 years. From 1985 to 1989 he headed UNHCR which at the time was protecting and assisting 17M refugees worldwide. Between 1996 and 2003 he chaired in Bosnia-Herzegovina the Independent Commission for Real Property Claims (CRPC) set up by the Dayton Peace Agreement. Under his chairmanship CRPC restore property rights of over a million Bosnian refugees and displaced people who had been deprived of them during the war.

Ep182 - Kabir Sehgal Feb 10, 2015

Show notes

Kabir Sehgal is kind of a triple threat. When he's not working at JP Morgan, he often spends his weekends with the US Navy Reserves but when we spoke to him he was using his weekend to go to the Grammy's...where's nominated to win one in the category of Latin Jazz. Actually though, that's not even why we had him on...because he also has a book coming out. A book that has rave reviews from Richard Branson, Bill Clinton...and one of our favorite Nobel Prize winners, Muhammad Yunus. In Coined: The Rich Life of Money and How Its History Has Shaped Us, Kabir examines money from perspectives as diverse as history, economics and psychology. Kabir Sehgal is the author of four books Coined, Jazzocracy, Walk in My Shoes and A Bucket of Blessings. WEBSITE: coinedbook.com

Ep181 - Katie O'Brien & Hunter Maats Jan 06, 2015

Show notes

Bryan sits down with good friends and authors, Kathrine O'Brien and Hunter Maats, who share what they've learned along the way and a moment they wanted to be nowhere else. Plus a lot of inanity.

Ep180 - Allen Barton & Leo Flowers Dec 30, 2014

Show notes

Today, Bryan and Leo Flowers sits down with Bryan's long time friend, Actor, Writer, Producer and former Scientologist, Allen Barton. They discuss the topic of religion, specifically with regards to Scientology and how they and other organized groups deal with disconnecting with people. Website: http://allenbarton.com/

Ep179 - Dom Irrera Dec 23, 2014

Show notes

This week, Bryan sits down alone with Hall of Fame stand-up comedian, Dom Irrera. Dom reminisced about Robin Williams, Rodney Dangerfield, Sam Kinison and performing in the great comedy 80's.

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